LATEST
NEWS

A well-informed membership makes the co-op housing movement stronger. Keep up-to-date on the latest CHF BC, and co-op housing related, goings-on by reading our latest news below. To get this news—and more— delivered directly to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletters.

  11 June 2024   

See if you Qualify for a Free Portable Air Conditioner

Summer is coming! Portable AC units can help cool homes during extreme heat events.

If you live in a qualifying household, you may be eligible for a free portable air conditioner and installation.

Learn more about BC’s Free Portable Air Conditioning program.

  19 January 2024   

Co-op Boards: Start the New Year Right with Tailored Training

Do you have an AGM on the horizon? How about scheduling board training shortly after? If this sounds like what your co-op needs, we have a tailored package for YOU!

To start the new year, we are offering two packages to CHF BC members at a discount on our regular rates. The promotion is applies to meetings scheduled before April 30, 2024

  12 January 2024   

Waste Connections Winter Weather Advisory: Information You Need to Know

Due to the severe cold snap we are experiencing coupled with the other winter weather conditions, that there may be service delays at Waste Connections customer sites.

Here are some quick and easy tips to help minimize delays.

  11 January 2024   

How to Navigate Your Co-op’s 2024 BC Property Assessment

BC Assessment recently sent out its 2024 property assessments to all housing co-operatives. Obligations to pay property taxes are tied to these assessments.

If you disagree with your co-op’s the assessment, you can contest it by filing an appeal before January 31, 2024.

  8 January 2024   

How to Protect Your Housing Co-operative during Winter Weather

Snow and ice brings a unique set of safety and accessibility challenges for housing co-operatives, including greater winter risks due to slippery conditions.

A little extra care this winter will go a long way towards keeping your co-op safe and accessible.

  29 November 2023   

Research shows that Community Housing is an Economic Necessity

Our friends at the Canadian Housing & Renewal Association recently released a report on the community housing—including co-ops—on Canada’s economic productivity.

The report provides five policy recommendations to boost community housing supply and tackle Canada’s productivity problem.

  18 October 2023   

What You Need to Know About Mini-split Heating & Cooling Systems

Mini-split heating and cooling systems are a reliable and energy-efficient solution. They can enhance comfort and air quality while reducing energy costs and providing flexibility in how you heat and cool your co-op’s homes.

Also known as ductless mini-split systems, they are a popular option for residential and business heating and cooling needs.

  4 October 2023   

Pet-friendly Co-ops: Benefits and Barriers

For many, pets are family, but pet-friendly housing has its challenges.

However, with vacancy rates among the lowest in the country right now, finding safe and affordable housing in B.C. is a challenge—and because of widespread pet restrictions, even more so if you happen to have pets, as more than half of British Columbians do.

  23 August 2023   

How to Deal with Raccoons at your Housing Co-op

Raccoons have a bad rap for making a mess in pursuit of the perfect meal. They are often labelled dumpster-divers, pond-raiders and garden-destroyers. This behaviour makes them valuable for cleaning up unwanted food from other animals, but gets them into trouble in and around our housing co-operatives.

  2 August 2023   

Podcast: The Financialization of a Housing Crisis

The days of the “mom-and-pop” landlord are largely behind us. Now, housing units are being snapped up or developed by large corporate entities and private-equity firms. It can be hard to figure out who  actually owns a building. Homes being treated like major sources of capital, instead of places for people to live.

Erika Sagert, policy manager for the BC Non-Profit Housing Association, has been trying to identify just how many people are affected by this financialization of housing.

  10 July 2023   

Window Safety Tips to Prevent Kids from Falls

While window falls can result in serious injury or even death, they are also largely preventable through simple measures that can be taken by parents, caregivers, and communities.

  28 June 2023   

New Canadian Rental Housing Index Data Reveal Alarming Cost Increases

Earlier this week, our Housing Central partners at BC Non Profit Housing Association released an updated Canadian Rental Housing Index including data from the 2021 census. 

The Index is a comprehensive database that compiles rental housing statistics for cities, regions, and provinces across Canada.